BARTER Henry James

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for navy casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

Harry James Barter, occupation: railway porter, resident Barnoldswick, Lancashire, died on the Whitby coast, Yorkshire. He was buried in consecrated ground in Astwood Cemetery on 4th November 1914, aged 29 years. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend C.H. Gough.

Source for additional information: Register of burials in Astwood Cemetery, entry no 38055, available on microfilm at Worcestershire Archives.

SS Rohilla was a steamship built in Belfast by Harland and Wolff for the British India Steam Navigation Company. She was launched in September 1906 and spent two years as a passenger and cruise liner operating between Southampton and Karachi during the winter months. In 1908 she was converted into a troop ship for permanent military service and then in to a hospital ship in August 1914, becoming known as HMHS Rohilla.

On 16th August she sailed from Southampton to Scapa Flow to commence training. Her final fateful voyage commenced on 29th October 1914. HMHS Rohilla, under the command of Captain David Landles Neilson, left Scapa Flow to sail down the East coast of England. Captain Neilson was unfamiliar with the waters, navigation under wartime restrictions prevented the use of navigation lights, there was concern with regard to German u-boats and mines being in the area and the onset of gale force winds and mountainous seas all combined to seal the fate of HMS Rohilla. At 4am on the morning of 29th October 1914, she ran aground on rocks at Saltwick Nab just south of Whitby Harbour. Although less than 600 yards from the shore, the rescue was long and difficult and it took 50 hours to rescue 144 of the 229 passengers and crew aboard the ship. Eighty five of those on board perished in the tragedy.

Berrow’s Worcester Journal, 7th November 1914:
WORCESTER MAN ON ROHILLA.
There was a Worcester man on the hospital ship Rohilla, which was wrecked on Friday morning, and it is feared that he is among those drowned. He is Mr Harry Barter, a son of Mr E. C. Barter, of Hill Avenue.  Mr Harry Barter was well known in the city. He formerly worked at Townshend’s Mill and later at the Midland Railway Station. He was a member of the St John Ambulance and soon after the war broke out was called up. He was married and lived at Barnoldswick, in Lancashire. Mr Barter senr., received a postcard from his son on Thursday last, but it was apparently posted at port before the ship left.

Report of the sinking of HMHS Rohilla in the Craven Herald of 6th November 1914:
http://www.eskside.co.uk/ss_rohilla/craven_herald.htm

In a section of the report:
‘The circumstances of poor Barter’s death are most pathetic, he having made the attempt to swim ashore on Saturday and all but reached safety when he was dashed against the rocks by a wave, and killed.’

The report also provides the information that Henry Barter was a railway goods porter who lived with his wife at 41 Skipton Road, Barnoldswick and that his body was taken on Tuesday to Worcester, where his father resides, for internment.